Tag: open mic

In just 5 short minutes, The Poetry Show, Season 2, Episode 6 will discuss MACHINES with Neil Cathan and Becca Miles. Then in Stairwell Books Presents: we actually have Susie Williamson!

Today’s show is about MACHINES

I was trolling thru my poems, the old snippets of stuff, the finished stuff, notes and so on, and I discovered, I don’t write about machines!! At all!! Very funny. Maybe cars, and I might do a poem about riding on a bus past some hot dry scenery in Cyprus; and I have a piece about bells.
But most of what I do doesn’t require more equipment than a pen or a magnifying glass. Well okay and a camera: that’s indispensable.
I do write on a computer and I used to feel very creeped out by leaving the word processor behind, and that in itself was a jump from carbon paper and a type writer.

In examining skeletal remains, I use simple, old fashioned things: calipers and camera, books, and paper. Even analysing ancient DNA the way my friend Rika did it (in 2002, 2003) involved a gel, and running electrical charges over samples. Is that steam punk?

Next up, Stairwell Books Presents: Susie Williamson, who has now enjoyed two smash success book launch events for RETURN OF THE MANTRA, her fantasy novel that examines environmental destruction, greed and human rights. But in an adventure story! Not too preachy, just a great, rollicking ride.

Don’t forget to join Declan and I at True Story Cafe, Friday, 22 June, for an open mic about sleep. Restful, wonderful, necessary, sleeeee………………………

On The Poetry Show episode (1pm ’til 2pm) , Job Share, we have the original crew of Charli, Laurence, Alan and me, but also with guest Lucy Furlong up from London. So the ep was a job share too. If I recall it was a seat share too! The recording studio at Eden Agency is a small space with four chairs, but we somehow fitted five of us in the room.

Job sharing is popular among parents of tiny kids. Back in the 1990s, job sharing became a feminist issue, a way for women to keep a foot in the job market and yet still have a life. Sort of. Tiny babies are HARD WORK! When I first had my baby, I had dreams: I was gonna learn sign language, maybe brush up on my French….. and I was grateful when I managed to get dressed and clean my teeth the same day. I then went back full time and it was hard.

Then, following the Poetry Show episode, we have Tom Dixon joining us on Stairwell Books Presents:

Tom has a book out this summer called ON SUICIDE BRIDGE and Tom will talk to us about the inspiration for the book. The featured picture above is of Tom at the Spoken Word, December 2016. No, the people gazing down at the floor aren’t praying, they’re listening intently. That was a very packed night!